The Garden Museum is the only museum in the UK to celebrate the art, design and history of gardens. Three temporary exhibitions each year explore the making of British gardens, and an exciting programme of over 30 events celebrates heroes and heroines from the forgotten planthunters and gardeners of the past to the designers and writers in fashion today. Visitors also see a permanent display of paintings, tools, ephemera and historic artefacts: a glimpse into the uniquely British love affair with gardens.

The Museum is situated in the beautiful former church of St. Mary at Lambeth, which is next to Lambeth Palace and just across the Thames from the Houses of Parliament. St Mary at Lambeth was founded in 1062 and the Museum retains much of its medieval character. The tower was a later addition in 1377. The interior of the church was largely remodeled in the Victorian period. In 1972 the church was deconsecrated and scheduled for demolition. At that time all the internal furniture, bells and altar were removed. Just before the wreckers arrived the building was saved by John and Rosemary Nicholson who wanted to save not only the building but also the now Grade II* listed tombs of Tradescant, Bligh and Sealy. In 2008 the venue was transformed by the installation of contemporary gallery spaces. The Garden Museum receives no public funding and is wholly reliant on the generosity of its audience and venue hire for its continuing existence.

The Garden Museum is currently undergoing a 15 month, £7.5 million redevelopment project and will reopen in early 2017. The Development Project will restore the ancient structure of St. Mary-at-Lambeth and transform it into a modern Museum. The project will transform the interior of the building, installing much needed heating, new toilet facilities, a polished concrete floor and new lighting which will illuminate the church walls beautifully.

The Museum will have two feature gardens upon reopening. In the centre of the Pavilion buildings will be a courtyard garden designed by Dan Pearson. This garden has been inspired by the lives of John Tradescant the Elder (c. 1570 – 1638) and the Younger (1608-1662), the great plant-hunters and gardeners to Charles I, whose tomb is central to the garden. Dan’s idea for this garden was for it to be a modern day cabinet of curiosities, featuring plants which ignite the kind of curiosity and fascination today that the Tradescants would have created in their own garden.

Outside the church, the churchyard garden will also be restored and opened up with increased biodiversity and a children’s play area. The gardens will feel like a private garden in the heart of London. Both gardens will make a beautiful environment for wedding photography, a relaxing evening reception or a lively summer party.

The Museum’s interior has been modified by the installation of the sustainable and non-invasive gallery spaces that were designed and added by Dow Jones Architects in 2008. The installation was deemed to be of sufficient quality for the architects to be awarded Refurbishment Architects of the Year. To quote the judges ‘the engineered timber intervention strikes a remarkably sympathetic relationship to its masonry host building.’ The development includes a small boardroom, permanent and temporary exhibition spaces.

The venue functions as a public museum on Sunday to Friday from 10.30am to 5.00pm and on Saturdays from 10.30am to 4.00pm. The venue is generally available each day for private hire from our public closing time until 11.30pm. For an additional fee the hours can be extended until 01.30am. Please allow for 1.5 hours set up and 30 minutes for close down. Set up and close down times must be accounted for within the booked time frame. On some occasions the venue is available for hire during the day such as the first Monday of each month when we are closed to the public. On rare occasions the Museum may be closed to the public for a private hire on an exclusive use basis.The venue is licensed for 250 pax. We can accommodate up to 120 pax for a formal sit-down meal and 250 pax for reception. We can accommodate 120 pax for a theatre style event with back projection. Venue hire covers the building (excepting the exhibition spaces) and private garden.